


College Is A Racket

by Wolfcry22



Series: Shame [26]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Awesome Bobby Singer, Bobby Singer Deals With Idjits, Bobby Singer is Dean and Sam Winchester's Parent, Bobby Singer is So Done, Bobby Singer's House, College, College | University Student Sam Winchester, Depressed Sam Winchester, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotionally Hurt Sam Winchester, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt Sam Winchester, Parental Bobby Singer, Protective Bobby Singer, Sam Winchester Angst, Sam Winchester Has Mental Health Issues, Sam Winchester Needs a Hug, Sam Winchester Whump, Sam Winchester is Not Amused, Sam Winchester is Not Okay, Sam Winchester is So Done, Walk Into A Bar, Whump, Worried Bobby Singer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:34:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29095842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfcry22/pseuds/Wolfcry22
Summary: Sam comes home from college in a beer filled daze and Bobby has to talk some sense into him (Based on an episode from the TV show Shameless)
Series: Shame [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1883236
Kudos: 11





	College Is A Racket

**Author's Note:**

> This won’t be overly long but it’ll be based on the season 4 episode 4 of the TV show Shameless where Lip is talking about college with Kevin and Kevin gives him some tough love. I can see Bobby doing the same since he was the one to give both Sam and Dean tough love. Bobby is the one to also speak sense into a conversation and that can be really helpful when it comes to Sam at times. Hopefully this story all came together well.

Sam sat at a table alone at Bobby’s bar, downing his second beer and going down on the peanuts in the small bowl in front of him. His eyes were downcast, not looking quite in any direction. There was an cloud of uncertainly and hostility that bubbled just below the surface. The normal patrons were reluctant to even come up to him, fearful of what he may do. Everyone knew to leave him alone and that was a surefire way not to get their heads bitten off.

Bobby frowned as he watched the young man in question. He stood behind the bar, silently counting the minutes as they crept past. By his calculations, Sam had been there for nearly two hours. He had barely said anything to anyone and hadn’t even reacted to the taunting that Clyde had given him. He had just kept eating and drinking without much will to do anything else, which wasn’t like Sam. 

It was like John. 

Bobby swallowed down the thought and braced his shoulders back. He walked around the bar, pushing a spare shot glass down to Masie, who was pouring the next round of drinks to the regulars. 

He padded over to Sam and stooped over the table, palms pressed on the edges while he leaned forward. “Sam—“

“I’m serious. I’m done.” Sam choked out the words before Bobby could even finish his thought. 

Bobby sighed, pulling out a chair and sitting down while facing the youngest Winchester. “I was hoping you were just blowin’ off steam by coming back to this hellhole.” Bobby thought that Sioux Falls was pleasant enough for him, a drunk who wasn’t going anywhere. However, it wasn’t nearly good enough for the man that Bobby knew that Sam could be.

Sam shook his head. “It’s not like it’s up to me. My grades are shit, I can’t pay for basic books and food, which apparently isn’t figured out in the whole ‘full ride’ thing or perhaps they’re trying to screw me over.” He took in a shuddering breath and took another gulp of his beer. “I’m just going to go pack my shit and get out of there.”

Confusion showed on Bobby’s deep gaze. “And then what?” 

“I’ll figure it out.”

Bobby scoffed despite himself. 

Sam appeared taken aback by Bobby’s response. Never before had Sam seen Bobby look so done and yet so amused at the same time. It was almost scary. 

“What?”

Bobby thought about trying to be a little more gentle with his words only to fail spectacularly and go with what he knew. “Grow a pair.”

Bristling, Sam curled his lip in agitation. How dare Bobby say something like that to him? “Excuse me?”

“Yer heard what I said. You gotta tough it out, son.” Bobby reached forward to slap the table close to Sam’s hand. “What are you a little bitch?” 

Sam’s mind struggled to formulate a response. Out of everyone he had thought that Bobby would be the most understanding and the most willing to help. Unfortunately, that didn’t appear to be the case. 

“I don’t think that you understood me, Bobby. It’s not just up to me and I have all these things I have to figure out and deadlines-“

“You’re resourceful, you’ll figure it out. If anyone knows how to beat the system and still stay on top, it’s you or sometimes your brother. It’s one of the only times I can think of that it actually pays to be a Winchester,” Bobby pointed out.

Sam gave his head a frustrated shake. “This is the first good day that I’ve had since I left that shithole. Can you please just leave me to finish my beer in peace?” 

Clearly, gentle talking wasn’t going to do it. He needed to be a little more forceful than he was already being. “Sam, do you want to end up like me? Clawing for every penny? Praying that you can find a way to support your family, because that’s what I’ve gone through...what I’m still going through. I don’t even know how to I was able to support you and Dean when you were little and your Daddy would just drop you off at my doorstep. I’ve got bills up to my ass, and I’ll tell you what, it fucking sucks.”

Sam grapped another bite of peanuts and set them in his mouth, chewing softly. “You’re resourceful, you’ll figure it out.”

Bobby gnawed on his lower lip, huffing fitfully. He stood up and pushed the chair back as he stood up. “College is a racket, huh? Guess what, there’s no one that’s better at beating the system than you and quite possibly your brother. Hell, son, you got them to give you four fucking years for free! So, get back in there, get your damn diploma, spit in their faces, and have a fucking future.”

“Look, Bobby, I just want to finish my beer and enjoy being back home, alright?” 

“This is where you grew up, kinda, but it isn’t your home and it’s not where you’re supposed to be.”

“Are you the arbiter of where everyone should be?”

From the bar top, Clyde let out a clicker into the back of his fist. Masie reached out to slap his shoulder, shaking her head defiantly to warn him against it.

“Maybe, even if knew what arbiter meant.” Bobby had long since gotten over Sam’s constant need to throw his intelligence around with his impressive vocabulary. It was something that Bobby was proud of the kid for, even if it sometimes meant a hit to his ego. 

Sam gulped down the rest of his beer and shoved the glass back down on the table. “I’m getting really tired of everyone telling me where I should go and what I should be.”

Bobby narrowed his eyes to frustrated slits, not understanding why Sam could possibly be throwing away his future. Dean had worked his ass off to give his brother the best life that he could. Having Sam throw it all away without a plan or reason why infuriated Bobby to no end. 

“Then stop making them have to. Grow the fuck up!”

Sam didn’t know what to say at the harsh fury that Bobby had. He watched as Bobby turned and stormed back to the bar, pushing his way into the back where the office and inventory was. 

Masie glanced up from where she had been cleaning the bar and waltzed over to Sam’s table. He looked more sullen than he had when he walked in, which was saying something. Mina had served him only because she knew who he was. If Dean caught him there drinking it was sure to be hell for all those involved.

“You know he’s only saying those things because he’s worried about you, right,” Masie questioned with one hand on her hip.

Sam rolled his eyes. “He doesn’t need to worry about me. I’m an adult!” 

Masie nodded in understanding. “Yes, you are, but Bobby still cares about you and your brother and he wants your lives to be easier than his. That’s why he says the things that he says. You can understand that, can’t you?”

“I suppose so. I’m just tried of everyone telling me what I should want out of life. Maybe that’s not for me.” 

“That’s something that you have to find for yourself.” Masie reached over to pat his shoulder, arm dropping down to collect both glasses of beer. “Another round?” 

Sam thought for a moment before shaking his head. “No, I have some shit I need to take care of.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was super fun to write as I haven’t written in this verse in a little bit. I hope you all enjoy and are staying safe and healthy!


End file.
